Reflections

Pre-IOC: “It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” — Paul “Bear” Bryant.

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“It’s not an easy course,” Mattis told them. “It’s not designed to be. We’re not here to get you in touch with your inner child.”

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“Somewhere, a True Believer is training to kill you.
He is training with minimal food and water, in austere conditions, day and night.
The only thing clean on him is his weapon.
He doesn’t worry about what workout to do…his rucksack weighs what it weighs, and he runs until the enemy stops chasing him.
The True Believer doesn’t care how hard it is; he knows he either wins or he dies.
He doesn’t go home at 1700; he is home.
He only knows the Cause.
Now…who wants to quit?”

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“This is not about who? Us,” Cuomo said. “Congratulations on taking one step closer to the privilege of serving infantry Marines. That’s what you can pat yourself on the back about. Nothing else. Nothing in here, and nothing over the next 13 weeks, is about you.”

Over and over, infantry officers must ask a simple question in trying circumstances, Cuomo said: “How do I win?”

“For the next three years, God is going to hand you 41, 42, 43, 44, up to 60 of America’s sons,” he said. “There is nothing more precious than that on the entire planet. The expectation is that every single day you are going to understand that you are here, and we are putting you through challenges, so that you can serve that platoon by leading them to win in combat. Simple enough?”